<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>You carry them with you by kalika_999</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23872948">You carry them with you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalika_999/pseuds/kalika_999'>kalika_999</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jack and Brock's misadventures [114]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Body Image, Comfort No Hurt, Constellations, Freckles, HYDRA Husbands, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:34:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,013</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23872948</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalika_999/pseuds/kalika_999</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Constellations Jack had taught him because if it was anyone else, he wouldn’t give a shit about what existed in the sky above.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Rollins/Brock Rumlow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jack and Brock's misadventures [114]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/547894</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>You carry them with you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">

        <li>
          Translation into Русский available: 
            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24176488">Ты носишь их с собой</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ezra_Barnett/pseuds/Ezra_Barnett">Ezra_Barnett</a>
        </li>


    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Brock traced a steady hand over the freckles dotting Jack's upper back, his heart pounding faster at every touch. He counted every single one of them, mouthing each number silently to himself.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>..a hundred and fifty seven, a hundred and fifty eight..</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If it wasn’t for his sharpened focus, he’d already be lost in all the constellations they made.  Constellations Jack had taught him because if it was anyone else, he wouldn’t give a shit about what existed in the sky above.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate them.” Jack uttered all of a sudden. “Hated taking off my shirt when I was younger back in the summer because they were so prominent against my skin.  For some reason it always stayed pale, I didn’t know why and it just carried on like that for the longest time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t have been able to stop m’self from starin’ at ‘em.” Brock whispered, not sure why he was admitting that right then out loud.<br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You and everyone else.” He said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock rolls his eyes behind him before he leaned forward, pressing his lips softly to the biggest cluster, trailing feather-light ones afterwards across Jack’s shoulder blades. Jack gave a shaky gasp, hiding his face in the pillows. Brock’s nose brushed over a span of freckles, turning his head and rubbing his cheek across others.  By the time he reached the other end, Jack’s breathing was shallow, obviously unsure, his back was tensed up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everyone else can fuck off.  I’d be starin’ at ‘em for other reasons.” Brock murmured, nuzzling along Jack’s spine. “Each and every one of them are yers, and that makes ‘em fuckin’ amazin’.  They’re a physical presence of how unique ya really are in this fucked up world. Jesus Jack, ya got the stars across your skin and I can’t get over ‘em.  It’s only me that gets to see ‘em too, that’s..somethin’ else.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack was silent, too still, and Brock let him be, his fingers tracing across a very familiar map that Jack was constantly inspired by. Ursa across one shoulder blade and he couldn’t help himself but smile at how oddly specific it really was, even if it wasn’t easy to recognize unless you </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> looked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He watched Jack eventually turn his head, staring blankly at nothing across the tiny room and Brock got it, he did.  Out of anyone, he knew it was hard to take even a simple fucking compliment without waiting for the other shoe to drop.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gently pressed himself to Jack’s back, leaning close to murmur in his ear. “I don’t know what I did, Jackie.  I don’t.  What did I do in another life where I ended up meetin’ you in this one, huh?  I’ve never deserved nothin’ as good as you, ever, I promise ya that.  It should be the opposite, truth be told. But yer ‘ere, in the flesh and breathin’ the same air as I am with those goddamn perfect green eyes of yers and sayin’ a million things without utterin’ a damn word and I get ‘em all.  Yer made fer me and I go to bed every night wonderin’ if I’m about to wake up from some long ass dream that my head had made up to keep me copin’.  Ya know that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack trembled beneath him, breath hitching. Brock shifted to lay beside him, pulling and turning him to his chest. At first Jack only stayed that way, body too long but pliant, then slowly he buried his face in his neck, staying deathly quiet. Brock didn’t coax him into anything, his fingertips roamed across one shoulder as he pressed a kiss into Jack’s hair.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Jack eventually whispered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fer what?” Brock said, a smile at his lips. “Tellin’ the truth?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack kept his face tucked away.  It amazed Brock that he didn’t pick up on any of this for <em>years</em>. But then that was who Jack was, he didn’t let up and reveal what he could be behind closed doors because he spoke fluently in keeping your ticks and tells in line; too stoic for his own good, a blank canvas to take up whatever emotion was required of him when something came up.  But it wasn’t him though, not when he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I ain’t that good with words, Rawls.” Brock repeated, because he was saying it a lot when they were like this.  He leaned in and kissed Jack after coaxing him to look his way, keeping him close. Jack returned the kiss, his anxiousness bleeding into it and Brock had no idea what had screwed up his head so badly but he wasn’t going to let it go on any longer if he had any say about it. Eventually he broke the kiss to cradle Jack’s face and give him a stern look. “But I promise, we’re fixin’ it.  The same promises ya gave me, I’m givin’ you.  Now come on, let’s get some sleep or we’ll end up ruinin’ our plans fer tomorrow.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright.” Jack whispered low after a lapse in his thoughts. His voice was hoarse despite not saying much of anything and Brock made no comment about that, especially when another kiss was pressed to his lips, then at his cheek, to his jaw and down against his adam’s apple before Jack shifted to lay on his back with his arms open in silent invitation.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock followed and nestled against Jack’s chest, studying him closely and the corner of Jack’s mouth quirked up slightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine.  I’m listening to you for once in my life.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Making a face, Brock let that remark slide for the time being as he settled his head down against Jack’s shoulder. It was easy to fall asleep when it was to the feel of Jack’s fingers in his hair, the comfort of knowing he did something right for a change, and the stars shining bright just outside their bedroom window.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was all a constant reminder that he was lucky enough just being here on earth with the one star that was his everything.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>